The End of a Dark Lord: Rise of a Jedi
by Tyber Zahn
Summary: A what if story. What if Dooku had an extra ten seconds before Anakin killed him? Would the war end? Or would it spiral out of control and engulf the galaxy in war?


The end of a Dark Lord, Rise of a Jedi

I own nothing from this story but the computer I am writing this on. The idea is what if scenario in the beginning of the Star Wars Episode three: Revenge of the Sith. This is a one-shot, but there I might make sequels depending on what the feedback is. Due to my, ahem, _lack_ of skill in writing action scenes, I'll just narrate some of the more important events of the battle, rather than the whole battle.

**Invisible Hand: Command Spire**

'This is not going as planned, nowhere near as planned.' Dooku thought to himself as he dueled with Anakin, losing terribly to him, 'I have to act now or this will not end in my favor.'

As Anakin pushed his attack Dooku parried, but to no avail. Anakin's attack knocked Dooku's saber into a bad position, the next swing from Anakin's saber cut Dooku's left hand off.

As the Sith gasped in pain, Anakin called Dooku's lightsaber to his hand and placed the sabers in a v angle, and placed them in front of the count's neck.

'No, it can't end like this! I may not have been the better fighter but still.' Dooku thought as Palpatine said, "Good, Anakin good. Kill him. Kill him now."

Dooku's mind raced, 'He betrayed me. Well then, I'll return the favor.' As Anakin was arguing with Palpatine about the subject of killing him, Dooku interjected, "What if I told you something, that if revealed, that would destroy the CIS?"

Anakin looked skeptical, "And just what is that information exactly?"

"The Sith Lord that is behind all of this, the one who trained me, the one who controls the CIS. And, consequently, the one who controls the Republic."

All the color drained from Palpatine's face, 'No! This can't be happening; Anakin should have killed him by now. Why does he let him live?!' Palpatine thought to himself as he realized he couldn't intervene because of the ray shielded bonds he was being held with.

This response surprised Anakin, "Why should I believe you? You tried to kill me and Obi-Wan."

Dooku could hear the surprise in his voice, "I know I have done wrong in the past, but I have seen the error in my ways." Dooku paused for a second and lowered his gaze, "I wish to be a Jedi again."

Anakin nodded, "First tell me who the Sith Lord is."

Dooku inclined his head in the direction of Palpatine, "Him, he is the one you have been looking for."

Anakin shook his head, "That is not possible, he can't be."

"If I tell you something that no one else but the two of you know will you believe me?" Dooku said with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

Anakin nodded.

Dooku looked at Palpatine smiled and said, "You are married to Senator Amidala, and your mother was captured, tortured and killed by the Tusken Raiders. When you found out about her you attacked all of them, no survivors."

Right as he finished Obi-Wan woke up and said, "What did I miss?"

Anakin's anger went ballistic, "You traitor! You betrayed everyone! They trusted you, _I _trusted you!" Anakin raised the two sabers into an X position and prepared to charge the captive Palpatine.

Then a familiar cried out, "Anakin, wait!" It was Obi-Wan.

Anakin looked back at his master.

"I must have missed something, why are you trying to kill the Chancellor?" Obi-Wan asked.

"He's the Sith lord, the one we've been searching for all this time!"

Obi-Wan glanced at Palpatine, "Anakin, did you happen to get hit on the head during the battle?"

Dooku answered instead, "He didn't, and I know this because I didn't hit his head."

Obi-Wan raised a brow, "And why are you turning him in?"

Dooku sighed, "Because he betrayed me, I'm not turning him in for revenge, but because I no longer wish to be a Sith."

Obi-Wan remained skeptical, "And how do I know you're not lying?"

Dooku smirked slightly, "Ask Anakin."

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin who nodded, "He's telling the truth Master, he knows, things about me that, no one else knows."

Obi-Wan inclined his head, "And what would he know, exactly?"

Dooku again intervened, "That is between the two of us Kenobi."

Obi-Wan sighed but nodded, "Very well then. Chancellor Palpatine, you are under arrest. On the charges of: Conspiracy to overthrow the Republic, Conspiracy to commit murder, Kidnapping, Attempted murder and murder."

Palpatine's eyes changed to yellow, "You can't do this to me Jedi, because I am the Senate."

Obi-Wan smirked, "Sorry Chancellor, but you've lost."

Palpatine started shaking his head, "No no, you will die!" He flexed his hands out and streams of Force Lightning lanced out, striking not Kenobi, but Anakin's lightsaber.

The lightning sent surges of Dark Side energy through Anakin, but nothing compared to what Dooku had unleashed on him a few years before, since although Palpatine was desperate, he couldn't move enough to send enough energy. He slowly walked toward Palpatine, encountering more and more resistance from the lightning. He eventually reached a shocked Palpatine, and held Dooku's lightsaber towards him, "Surrender Chancellor, you're beaten."

Palpatine reluctantly lowered his hands and the storm ceased, "So you've beaten me Jedi, now what?"

"We take you into custody, where you'll be charged with the crimes you've committed."

Palpatine smirked, 'Time to bring the situation back into my favor.' He chuckled lightly, "But I'm a Sith Lord, do you think that I'm safe to transport?"

Anakin scowled, "We'll think of something, even if that something is that someone keeps a lightsaber to your neck the whole time."

Palpatine scoffed, "Why not just kill me now and be done with it? Kill me and take your revenge for your friends."

"Don't listen to him Anakin, he's trying to tempt you into joining the Dark Side."

With the blade still aimed the Chancellor's neck Anakin turned to see where the voice came from, but it wasn't Obi-Wan as he expected. It was Dooku.

Anakin turned back toward the Chancellor, "Sorry, but you're going to live to see your trial."

Palpatine sighed, "Very well."

Anakin shut down the sabers and walked back to the others. He looked at Dooku, "Now we just need to figure out how to get off this ship."

Dooku glanced up, "Leave that to me, my personal transport can get us planetside. And it doesn't have a CIS transponder code."

Obi-Wan shook his head, "Grievous will be watching the hanger. No we need something more subtle."

Dooku rolled his eyes, "Kenobi, Grievous won't expect me to lose."

Kenobi was adamant, "No, if he even suspects that you've either lost or we've escaped he'll send Droideka's to every hanger bay."

Their arguing was getting on Anakin's nerves, "Master, Count Dooku, why don't we take the fight to Grievous and end this war right here? He's on the ship at the moment."

Obi-Wan shook his head, "Anakin that won't," His eyes widened, "That, would work perfectly."

Dooku nodded, "I could fool him into thinking I have you two in custody, and then when we get there you two can apprehend him or kill him and end the war."

Anakin looked shocked that they'd accepted his idea, but he got over it quickly, "Well then, shouldn't we be getting into some stun cuffs then?"

Dooku shrugged, "They would help, but they won't be charged of course."

Anakin glanced back at Palpatine, "What do we do with him?"

Dooku chuckled, "Leave him, he's stuck right there until we decide to let him go."

Obi-Wan nodded, picked up Dooku's lightsaber and tossed it to him, "You may need this Count."

**Invisible Hand: detention center**

Dooku motioned for the B1's to put the stun cuffs on the Jedi, "It was wise of you to surrender Jedi, now you won't be killed."

Obi-Wan shrugged, "It was the only to stay alive."

A battle droid poked Anakin in the back with its blaster, "Move it Jedi Scum."

Anakin stumbled a little, but started walking.

**Invisible Hand: bridge**

Grievous walked onto the bridge coughing, "What's the situation captain?"

The Nemodian captain looked over at the Cyborg General, "Two Jedi have been captured on the ship, and Count Dooku is bringing them up here."

Grievous coughed again, "Not quite as he predicted, but nonetheless a positive outcome."

**Invisible Hand: outside the bridge**

Dooku motioned to the droids, "Guards, leave us." Following their programming, the droids left without argument.

"All right, everyone understand the plan?" Anakin said while looking at the others.

Dooku nodded, "Yes, we wait for your droid to arrive for a distraction and you take your sabers back from Grievous."

"Then we fight our way through the possibly dozens of battle droids and super battle droids and Grievous's body guards until we can fight Grievous himself." Obi-Wan finished, obviously not thrilled with the plan, "Then we take control of the bridge, change our transponder code, and start firing on CIS warships until the republic can land a few gunships in the hanger and remove the rest of the droids." Obi-Wan shook his head, "There still so many ways this could go wrong."

"Master, when have the odds ever been in our favor?" Anakin retorted with a slight smirk, "Besides, even if Grievous escapes, we'll have the Invisible Hand and Dooku." Anakin explained, "And Dooku knows every Separatist fortress world and the security codes to get us there."

Dooku nodded, "Are we ready?"

Obi-Wan sighed, "It's not as if I have a better idea, so I'm ready."

Anakin smiled, "Alright then, let's go."

**Invisible Hand: bridge**

Grievous turned around at the sound of the bridge doors opening, "General Kenobi, I'm honored." Grievous mocked while in between coughing spurts. He glanced at Anakin, "Ah, young Skywalker, the 'Hero of the Republic' is in my grasp." Grievous coughed again, "Not quite as you predicted Count, but lord Sidious will be pleased nonetheless." He took their lightsabers and put them in his cloak. "I'll add your lightsabers to my collection."

Obi-Wan chuckled, "That's not going to happen, and I'm the one in control here."

Grievous's eyes widened, 'Has he completely lost his sanity?' He started laughing but was interrupted by his coughing, "You're mad Kenobi."

Obi-Wan smiled, "I don't think so." He looked back at the door, "Artoo?"

The door opened and R2-D2 entered the bridge.

One of the B-1 battle droids glanced at R2, "A little Astro droid, that's you're escape plan?"

Obi-Wan nodded, "Why, yes actually."

Anakin looked at Artoo, "Artoo now."

R2 started what looked like malfunctioning, sending lightning arcing everywhere around him, catching Grievous off guard and sending him reeling.

Taking advantage of Grievous's surprise, Anakin and Obi-Wan used the Force to pull their sabers to them and ignite them. Grievous's bodyguards started moving to attack them.

Grievous recovered and looked at Dooku, "I thought they were bound!"

Dooku feigned surprise, "Obviously not."

Grievous was fooled and motioned to his bodyguards and they backed up instantly, "You are foolish Jedi scum. I will deal with you, myself." His cloak came off and his arms split, revealing a four armed lightsaber wielding Cyborg.

They three combatants charged each other and commenced fighting.

Against the two Jedi, Grievous was slowly losing ground, 'How are they beating me, I was trained by Dooku himself!' He thought as two of his arms blocked the blades coming at him from two angles. The truth was that because of so many years fighting side by side, Anakin and Obi-Wan had become a fighting duo that was nearly unbeatable. One Jedi said that it was almost like they were one being, with two bodies, each one reinforcing the others weaknesses with his strength. Even the feared Cyborg General, the slayer of numerous Jedi, stood little chance against the two. The battle was decided the moment Grievous decided to fight them. Realizing that the odds were slipping out of his favor, he called to his guards, "Kill them!"

Before the four Magna-Guards could engage, two of them were cut down, by a red lightsaber.

Grievous's eyes narrowed in anger, "Count Dooku, what is the meaning of this?!"

Dooku smirked, "It is time you learned General, that actions have consequences."

"Kill the Count!" Grievous yelled as he blocked two more strikes.

Seeing his disadvantage at fighting two foes with only one hand, he pointed his saber at one of the guards and sent a Force pulse at it, sending it flying into a console, shorting it out. He turned to the other guard, "Now, it's even." After a flurry of strikes, the guard fell into multiple pieces.

By this point Grievous had lost his middle hands, and his other two had been damaged. He jumped over to the front of the bridge, followed by the two Jedi and the recently returned to the light sith, "You lose, Count Dooku." He said as he threw an Electro-Staff into the viewport, shattering it. As Grievous was sucked out the viewport and into space, he realized too late that there has a spinning red bade coming at him. Then he knew no more.

Metal covered the viewport, stopping the loss of air. As the three fell back onto the floor, Obi Wan glanced at Dooku and said breathlessly, "So, where are the transponder systems?"

**Coruscant: Temple Landing zone**

"I'm still having a hard time believing that you turned from the dark side, my old friend."

Dooku shrugged slightly, "It's not that the Jedi Order suits me more Master Windu, I just think that it was time I changed. And maybe it's time for the Order to change as well."

Windu cocked his head, "How so?"

Dooku showed off his trademarked smirk, "When Revan married Bastilla, the Jedi were up in arms. Which is surprising considering it was Revan's connection to Bastilla that made her not only return to the light, but led to the death of Darth Malak and the destruction of the Star Forge."

Windu nodded, "You have a point, but the rest of the council may object."

"They might, but maybe it's time for the next generation to lead. Maybe, it's time for the Jedi to grow, rather than remain in the past." Dooku responded, "Or maybe I'm just an old fool."

Windu shook his head, "Dooku, if returning to the light and taking down the last remaining sith makes you a fool then, you have to be to the king among fools."

Dooku chuckled, "Then my friend, shall we go inform the council of out foolishness?"

Windu shook his head, "No, I believe that outside of Yoda most of the council would over react to your presence." He sighed, "Even though our code teaches calmness, it doesn't always work."

Dooku shrugged, "Well, in that case maybe I shouldn't show my face for a little while."

Windu glanced at him, "Where do you plan on going?"

Dooku closed his eyes and looked up in reflection, "Serenno, my home world, it has been far too long since I've been there." He opened his eyes and back at Windu, "Yes, that's where I'll go."

Windu turned to him and nodded, "Very well then, I hope you find what you're looking for Dooku. May the Force be with you."

Dooku's mouth twitched into a small smile, "It's been a long time since I've heard that." But he then nodded and replied, "May the force be with you."

Windu chuckled, "You'll come back, right? We won't have to come fetch you?"

Dooku nodded, "Don't worry I'll come back, it may be a while though. I have a lot to take care of first." Hr started to turn to head back to his ship bit stopped and held out a Datacard to Windu, "You may want this."

Windu had a knowing look on his face, "I take it that links Palpatine to the CIS?"

Dooku smirked, "Where would the fun be if I just told you?"

Windu just shook his head, "Just get going before I change my mind."

Dooku chuckled, "Very well then. Farewell, my old friend."

**AN:** And, that's it. I'm sorry it took so long to get this thing out, life takes priority over fan fiction. That's all I can say.

Oh, and about this SOPA scare, I don't think it's as severe as people think. The bill is dead, or so I though. I researched it and it looks like the bill is dead. I could be wrong, but I encourage you to look it up and decide your course of action for yourself.

That's all I have to say, so until next time: Read, Review and enjoy.


End file.
